Monthly Archives: July 2010

Dragonfly: Anotogaster sieboldii

Posted on July 15, 2010 by Nigel

Magnificent!! This is the largest species of dragonfly in Japan and, at 10cm long, it’s an impressive sight. This one was zooming around a clearing and it flew just above my head several times before settling on a remarkably convenient … Continue reading →

Posted in Insects, Odonata | 4 Comments

Nature’s Smiley

Posted on July 15, 2010 by Nigel

What a cute and unusual thing to find — a natural smiley in the forest!! I couldn’t decide what it was at first as it was only about 8mm across. I was just thinking it might be a young snail … Continue reading →

Posted in Arachnids | 1 Comment

Weevil: Mesalcidodes trifidus

Posted on July 15, 2010 by Nigel

I often see these big black and white weevils hanging onto leaves like a cross between a koala and a (very small) panda! They walk very deliberately and drop off the leaf when disturbed. I think they are among my … Continue reading →

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Oops… somebody made a mistake

Posted on July 15, 2010 by Nigel

I think somebody has made a bit of a mistake here! Take a closer look… Coleoptera: Curculionidae (weevils) Mesalcidodes trifidus Weevil = ojiro-ashi-naga-zoumushi Location: Yokoyama Village near Munakata Common (Google map link)

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Skeletonized leaf

Posted on July 15, 2010 by Nigel

It’s remarkable how these Japanese beetles skeletonize leaves — they’re little artists really!! Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae (Shining Leaf Chafers) Popillia japonica Japanese beetle = mame-kogane Location: Yokoyama Village near Munakata Common (Google map link)

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Katydid: Gampsocleis buergeri

Posted on July 15, 2010 by Nigel

These huge katydids (bush-crickets) are everywhere at the moment. They sit perfectly camouflaged on leaves and then half jump, half crawl into the foliage making so much disturbance that it’s like a much larger animal is lurking there. Once you … Continue reading →

Posted in Insects, Orthoptera | 1 Comment

Weevil: Euops splendidus

Posted on July 15, 2010 by Nigel

Such a beautiful weevil… but my photos are very poor. The evening was setting in and I was among trees and the weevil was only 3mm long… If I find one again, I will catch it and take the photo … Continue reading →

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Hornet: Vespa ducalis

Posted on July 15, 2010 by Nigel

I stood taking photos of these hornets for quite a while but I think I should have been able to take better shots than these. I’ll try again next time. I guess there were 7 or 8 of them flying … Continue reading →

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Jumping bristletail

Posted on July 15, 2010 by Nigel

Jumping bristletails are primitive wingless insects that are thought to have been around 390 million years ago. Archaeognatha Jumping bristletail = ishi-nomi Location: Yokoyama Village near Munakata Common (Google map link)

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Longhorn Beetles

Posted on July 11, 2010 by Nigel

Today was Longhorn Beetle day for me! I went out for 4 hours between downpours and walked around my local area to see what I could find. Everywhere I looked I spotted longhorns: 9 species in total. Not bad. Well, … Continue reading →

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